By Mike Simpson
In the world of donuts, Dunkin Donuts is a leader. That’s why landing an interview at one of its stores is so exciting; it’s a chance to work for a real giant in the quick-service restaurant industry. And since that’s the case, a surprising number of people apply to every job opening. If you want to make sure you stand out, then knowing how to tackle Dunkin Donuts interview questions is essential.
So, how do you get ready? By preparing in advance. If you want to make sure you’re ready for the interview questions at Dunkin Donuts, here’s what you need to know.
How to Answer Dunkin Donuts Interview Questions
Alright, before we dive into the top Dunkin Donuts interview questions and answers, it’s a good idea to take a quick step back. You want to ensure that you have a solid strategy for answering the different types of questions you might encounter. That way, if the hiring manager asks something unexpected, you’ll know how to handle it.
Ultimately, Dunkin Donuts is a quick-service restaurant chain. It’s incredibly customer-oriented and prioritizes teamwork and efficiency in its locations. When you answer any interview questions at Dunkin Donuts, you need to show that you’re ready to offer an exceptional customer experience, all while supporting your colleagues and remaining productive.
However, you also need to work in other job-specific details if you want to stand out, as well as show that you’ll mesh with the company culture. While that sounds tricky, it’s not as hard as it seems.
Before your interview, take some time to do some research. Start with the job description. Review all of the must-have skills and desired experience, and look over the entire ad to find keywords that relate to desirable traits and capabilities. That way, you know what you’ll want to reference in your answers.
Next, head to the Dunkin Donuts website to read the mission and values statements. Also, check out its social media profiles. Together, those help you learn a lot about the culture, including critical traits you’ll want to showcase. It’s also smart to look at the menu, as there’s a chance the hiring manager will ask you about it during the meeting.
Once you’ve finished up with your research, it’s time to get a reliable technique for answering the different kinds of interview questions. Some are fairly simple to answer, while others require a bit more effort.
Traditional interview questions are on the easier side of the equation. Usually, the hiring manager will ask if you have a capability, so you can start your answering with “yes” or “no.” However, you don’t want to stop there.
If you do have the skill or experience, also share an example of you putting the capability to work or highlighting when you gained that experience. If you don’t, then talk about your desire to learn, as that can make you seem like an enthusiastic candidate.
For behavioral and situational interview questions at Dunkin Donuts, you’ll need a different strategy. Behavioral questions require you to talk about a past experience, while situational ones need to be answered by outlining how you’d approach a hypothetical scenario.
Fortunately, the same approach can work well in either case. By combining the STAR Method and the Tailoring Method, your answer will be incredibly engaging and highly relevant. As a result, you’ll make a better overall impression, increasing your odds of advancing through the hiring process.
Top 3 Dunkin Donuts Interview Questions
If you’re preparing to face off against interview questions at Dunkin Donuts, you might think that every interview is more or less the same. However, that isn’t the case, primarily because Dunkin Donuts hires for far more roles than people expect.
Overall, Dunkin Brands has more than 270,000 employees. While many of them work in the quick-service restaurants, some of them are employed in corporate roles instead. Since that’s the case, Dunkin Donuts may interview people with different kinds of expertise – including IT, marketing, accounting, and more – and each niche may have unique interview questions.
However, most people launch their Dunkin Donuts careers at one of the chain’s 11,300 restaurant locations. Since that’s the case, we’re going to focus on the interview questions store associates will likely face.
With that in mind, here are our top three Dunkin Donuts interview questions.
1. What’s your experience with baking?
Since Dunkin Donuts is essentially a bakery, the hiring manager will want to learn more about your experience with baking. While it’s great if you have professional experience you can discuss, talking about baking experience outside of a workplace is fine, too.
Hiring managers know that many entry-level candidates didn’t bake professionally previously, so they usually won’t hold it against you. Just make sure you use clear examples that describe what you’ve made in the past.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“While I haven’t held a job in a bakery previously, I’m an avid baker at home. Over the past few years, I’ve explored a range of recipes and created a broad selection of baked goods from scratch.
My biggest accomplishment in this area was creating a three-tiered birthday cake for a friend. Each layer was a different flavor. Plus, it featured a mix of icing and fresh fruit compote, which I also made from scratch. However, I’ve also baked various breads, cookies, and pastries, and have even made fresh donuts a few times over the years.”
2. What would you do if a customer placed an order, ate the entire thing, and then tried to demand a refund stating that the food wasn’t satisfactory?
While this situation doesn’t come up frequently, it can happen. That’s why hiring managers ask this question; they want to make sure you’re ready for any kind of customer interaction.
Ideally, you want to outline a multi-step process you’d take. It’s also wise to note that you’d follow any company policies, as most restaurants have standard procedures for these kinds of incidents.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“If a customer requested a refund claiming that the food didn’t meet their expectations after eating all of it, I would follow any company policies regarding these types of interactions. If there wasn’t an explicit policy to follow, my first step would be to remain calm and learn about the issues regarding their meal. I’d ask them to describe what was wrong with the items and when they noticed the problem.
Since offering a refund, in this case, would likely not be within my capability, I would then contact my manager. I’d relay what I was told and ask for guidance or see if they wanted to handle the customer personally.
If the manager wanted me to tell the customer that a refund wasn’t allowed, I would speak with the customer in a calm, straightforward manner. If they began acting aggressively, I’d follow company policy regarding these kinds of incidents, as well as notify the manager of the issue to gain their support.
Along the way, I’d work to diffuse any tension by acknowledging the customer’s position while asserting that a refund wasn’t available in this case. Should that fail, I’d turn the situation over to my manager to ensure it’s handled correctly from that point.”
3. If a customer came into the store and immediately asked to speak with a manager, what would you do?
Here’s another scenario that can happen on occasion, particularly in stores that have a significant amount of to-go or drive-thru traffic. With this, the hiring manager wants to know that you’ll exercise some due diligence once the customer requests to speak with the manager, all while striving to offer a great customer experience.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“If a customer came in and demanded to speak with a manager immediately, my first step would be to gather more information about the issue they want to discuss. I’d let them know that I understood their request before asking them to describe the problem so that I could relay it to the manager.
My goal would be to get an overview of the situation quickly, asking questions as required to gain clarity. If it turns out that the problem is something I can resolve, then I would do so. If it’s clearly outside of my ability to handle, I would then let the customer know I’m going to speak with the manager about the issue. I’d then relay all of the pertinent details to the manager and follow any instructions they provided about how to proceed.”
12 More Dunkin Donuts Interview Questions
Here are 12 more Dunkin Donuts interview questions the hiring manager might ask:
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- Why do you want to work at Dunkin Donuts?
- What do you know about our main competition, and how do you think Dunkin Donuts separates itself from the pack?
- Which aspect of the job do you think is the most challenging, and why?
- What’s your favorite Dunkin Donuts menu item?
- What’s your availability? Are you able to work early mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays?
- If a customer was upset about the quality of their order, how would you handle it?
- What does excellent customer service mean to you?
- Can you describe your prior customer service and food service experience?
- Do you have a current food handler’s card?
- How will you fit into a team-oriented environment?
- Describe your cash handling experience.
- If you saw a coworker stealing, what would you do?
5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Dunkin Donuts Interview
Near the end of your interview, the hiring manager usually asks if you have any questions for them. While some candidates assume that saying “no” shows that they know what to expect, positioning them as a top contender, the opposite can actually occur if you don’t ask questions.
By having a few intelligent questions ready, you show the hiring manager that you’re enthusiastic about the opportunity. Plus, it’s a chance for you to learn more about the job, workplace, and company culture, so don’t let this moment pass you by.
During the interview, questions might come to mind, and you can certainly ask them. However, it’s also wise to have a few prepared in advance. That way, you’ll always have some ready when this moment arrives.
With that in mind, here are five good questions to ask at the end of a Dunkin Donuts interview:
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- What do you like most about working for Dunkin Donuts? What do you enjoy least?
- How is success measured in this role?
- How would you describe the current team dynamic, and how do you envision the new hire fitting into it?
- What does Dunkin Donuts do for team-building?
- Are there any challenges in this location that you hope the new hire can solve?
Putting It All Together
At this point, you should have a reasonably solid idea of how to answer interview questions at Dunkin Donuts. Make sure you review all of the tips, tricks, insights, and questions above. That way, you can create standout answers for the Dunkin Donuts interview questions, increasing the odds that you’ll impress the hiring manager and, ultimately, land the job.
Good luck!
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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.
His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.
Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page.